Thursday, April 17, 2008

Fibromyalgia And Your Diet

Fibromyalgia And Your Diet
Fibromyalgia is otherwise called Muscular Rheumatism,
Tension Myalgia or Fibromyositis. This fibromyalgia is a
syndrome where the patient suffers from chronic muscle
pain. This is complicated syndrome wherein the pain can be
all over the body or just in certain muscles around the
joints. The majority who are affected by this are women
over the age of 30, who suffer from pain in the neck, back
and shoulders. They would generally complain of stiffness,
tenderness, and pain in the joints. It may seem that the
problem is with the joints, but in fact it is a muscular
pain that causes the problem. This can appear in anyone
including children and men of all races and is the second
most common disorder as per rheumatologists.

Due to the steady pain, the person tends to show signs of
stress, sleeplessness, extreme moodiness, and even
depression. This may not be constant but can escalate with
the pain and uneasiness. The cause of this may be due to
certain pain stimulating chemicals in the body and the
increase or reduction of serotonin in the body making it
sensitive to pain. Fibromyalgia causes the pain to be
centralized, wherein you feel the pain elsewhere in the
brain or spinal cord. This can be triggered with just a
slight touch or even external factors like light and sound.
It may seem psychological due to this, but in reality the
pain is genuine and caused due to these factors.

There is no specific recommended diet for fibromyalgia but
a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals can certainly
help in coping with the illness. Magnesium rich vegetables
are recommended for patient's suffering from fibromyalgia.
Cutting down on wheat and dairy products, having food rich
in B12 and proteins, avoiding food with yeast and
preservatives can also help. Caffeine, aerated drinks,
chocolates and tea can be not only healthier but also
reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Turmeric is a powerful
antiseptic and analgesic, 400-500 mg of turmeric everyday
can help reduce inflammation and heal the tender skin.
Ginger is also effective in relieving pain in the body.
Ginger juice can be mixed with some honey or lemon juice
and had as a refreshing drink.

You need to have food that reduces your anxiety levels.
Cutting down on coffee can help you sleep better and open
up ways to better health as well. Dairy products can be
avoided, as they would trigger the irritable bowel syndrome
that commonly affects fibromyalgia patients. Dairy products
tend to increase anxiety in some patients and have a
negative impact on the nervous system. Having whole grain
diet affects some who complain of insomnia and muscle
tensing. It is better to avoid it since the components are
high in phytic acid and subsequently reduce zinc absorption
in the system. Plenty of fruits, vegetables and nuts are
recommended in the diet, as they are rich in magnesium.

Saturated fats in the diet can help reduce anxiety even
though they tend to make you put on weight. Research has
shown that the anxiety levels in the person decreased with
the increase in cholesterol levels in the person. Spices
tend to increase anxiety; hence, a less spicy diet can have
calming effect, as it does not stimulate the body or the
mind. Acidic food can reduce the absorption of magnesium,
which helps relax the muscles. When there is a magnesium
deficiency, the muscles tend to get cramped and tense.
Plenty of vegetable juices and soups along with coconut
water or any fresh juice can be very refreshing and
healthy. Just the simple green salad with lemon juice
dressing can be full of the necessary vitamins.

Patients with Fibromyalgia symptoms should avoid vegetables
like broccoli, okra, potatoes, and cabbage. They should
make it a routine to sleep early in order to avoid stress
and fatigue. Some of the patients who suffer from this
prolonged joint pain can be allergic to wheat. A gluten
free diet is recommended for them, foods that can be
avoided are high fat dairy products, fried foods, red meat
etc. Research has shown that food rich in sodium and fried
stuff can aggravate the pain and inflammation. As mentioned
there no specific diet for fibromyalgia, you could try each
one and decide which one suits you best as health food and
as a way to nursing yourself back to health.


----------------------------------------------------
Hailey Harris is an expert in dealing with Fibromyalgia
after suffering for more than 8 years with health problems.
She is now symptom free and living a pain free life. She
developed Ridfibromyalgia.com found at
http://www.ridfibromyalgia.com to help others learn to do
the same. To receive tons of info, tips, and healing
strategies for free visit
http://www.ridfibromyalgia.com/how.html .

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